invention

American  

[in-ven-shuhn] / ɪnˈvɛn ʃən /

noun

• inventions
  plural

1. the act of inventing.

2. U.S. Patent Law. a new, useful process, machine, improvement, etc., that did not exist previously and that is recognized as the product of some unique intuition or genius, as distinguished from ordinary mechanical skill or craftsmanship.

3. anything invented or devised.

4. the power or faculty of inventing, devising, or originating.

5. an act or instance of creating or producing by exercise of the imagination, especially in art, music, etc.

6. something fabricated, as a false statement.

7. Sociology. the creation of a new culture trait, pattern, etc.

8. Music. a short piece, contrapuntal in nature, generally based on one subject.

9. Rhetoric. (traditionally) one of the five steps in speech preparation, the process of choosing ideas appropriate to the subject, audience, and occasion.

10. Archaic. the act of finding.

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invention British  

/ ɪnˈvɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of inventing

2. something that is invented

3. patent law the discovery or production of some new or improved process or machine that is both useful and is not obvious to persons skilled in the particular field

4. creative power or ability; inventive skill

5. euphemistic a fabrication; lie

6. (in traditional rhetoric) one of the five steps in preparing a speech or discourse: the process of finding suitable topics on which to talk or write

7. music a short piece consisting of two or three parts usually in imitative counterpoint

8. sociol the creation of a new cultural pattern or trait

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preinvention
  noun
• self-invention
  noun
• inventional
  adjective
• inventionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inventions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of invention

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English invencio(u)n, from Latin inventiōn-, stem of inventiō “discovery, finding out”; equivalent to invent + -ion

Explanation

If you create a new device or process, it's called an invention. Many futuristic inventions from science fiction have come true, though no one has successfully invented a time machine. The act of inventing something is also referred to as invention. Your invention of an amazing new cookie might make you the hit of the bake sale. Something imagined or created in your mind can also be called an invention. The story of what happened to your homework may have been a complete invention, but it was probably entertaining for your teacher — especially the part about the alien abduction.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

invention inventions

How does the human brain produce abilities such as language, imagination, mathematics, and invention?

From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026

When a tycoon on Wall Street tells you about an exciting new invention in “financial engineering,” reach for your wallet.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Reviews praised its candour and musical invention, calling Allen's work "breathtaking and heartbreaking", external and "a brutal, tell-all masterpiece", external.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

The ideal invention would be a light polyester air-conditioned undergarment, enclosed around the neck, wrists and ankles and battery operated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Treated seriously or not, the story of the Fox sisters and the spirits spread farther and faster due to the invention of the telegraph.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Some breakthroughs in physics come from brand new inventions.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Dramatic backstories about "secret inventions" or "industry breakthroughs"

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

You can bring America’s inventions to life with your computer or smartphone here.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

On the back of hopes it could save farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Monarch tractor made Time magazine’s list of the year’s best inventions in 2023.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

Continental differences in axis orientation affected the diffusion not only of food production but also of other technologies and inventions.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond